#Birushana Walkthrough

[blerdyotome]

Birushana Rising Flower of Genpei Tomomori Taira Walkthrough

Birushana Rising Flower of Genpei Tomomori Taira Walkthrough

Official Website: Japanese | English Where to Buy: Nintendo eShop General Tips Only the Happy End and Tragic Love End have unlockable CGs. All other paths are optional (CW included where necessary)Completing Tomomori’s Happy End Unlocks Sub Character – Shigehira End. This end unlocks an Other CG.Recommended play order: Noritsune Taira ➤ Shungen ➤ Benkei Musashibo ➤ Yoritomo Minamoto ➤ Tomomori…

[aishaarashi]

Birushana: Rising Flower of Genpei ~Shungen - Happy Ending~

This is a guide/walkthrough on how to get Shungen’s Happy Ending.  

❈The “SAVE” in this guide corresponds to the “LOAD SAVE” from the Tragic Love Ending guide, which can be found HERE.

One recommended route order: Noritsune ➔ Benkei ➔ Shungen ➔ Yoritomo ➔ Tomomori

Chapter 1:

Silently watch the samurai.

There’s got to be a way out of this…

Chapter 2:

As a Genji, I must talk with him.

But the Heike aren’t afraid of me!

I feel the same way about you, Shungen!

Our priority is to capture Benkei.

We’re stronger together.

I’m just glad to know she’s alright.

What makes the Heike so great?

Chapter 3:

Thank you…

I want to live up to their expectations…

Would you…hold my hand?

Chapter 4:

I rely on you too much.

Chapter 5:

I feel so relieved.

Chapter 6:

You should be more confident, Shungen.

Chapter 7:

It’s so embarrassing…

Nodded.

Chapter 8:

SAVE

I’m sorry.

Chapter 9:

Keep his heart next to mine.

I’m happy about it.

Chapter 10:

I can’t wait either.

Chapter 11:

Let me see your face.

Chapter 12:

No…

➔ Happy Ending

IF ENDING:  (Unlocks after completing Shungen’s route)

Go to Flowchart ➔ Start Tsugunobu Ending   (It can be found underneath Shungen’s Ch.5-2)

➔ Ending - The Basis of My Feeling

[mythicamagic]

Otomes I played in 2022

I thought I'd do some quickie reviews of otomes I've played recently such as: Hakuoki, Cupid Parasite, Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly, Sweet Fuse, Taisho Alice, Variable Barricade, Theory of Fear, Diabolik Lovers HDB and MB, Birushana, Ikemen Prince, Ikemen Vampire and Ikemen Sengoku.

Whew, I played more than I thought XD remember all this ranting is just my personal opinion.

Aight so Hakuoki:

For the most part I didn't mesh well with this one. The months in game felt pretty drawn out and slow-paced, and I didn't latch onto any of the characters except for the demons. I'm not entirely sure why. I think I just didn't feel like mc belonged there- and that she was way more invested in the Shinsengumi than they were bothered about her. I did enjoy seeing some historical events play out in Hijikata's route, and I liked seeing Kazama show up to wreck shit. Kazama was great, Kazama gave me a few months of brain rot. I did LOVE the music in this game though, dayme it was beautiful, and it goes without saying but the art style of the CGs were gorgeous. I'm glad I played this one because it's seen as a classic but I didn't personally get the hype sadly. I actually watched a playthrough of a fan-translated spin-off game (SSL) and actually PREFERRED it, despite it being just a comedy game. Whats wrong with me?

Best boy: Kazama

Cupid Parasite

I remember having mixed feelings about this one, it was a mixed bag. Pretty ok! I really liked Allan's route and the voice acting was solid. Art style was interesting but it hurt my eyes after a while XD I think for me I just didn't find much of a 'replayability' factor. I enjoyed it fine, but it won't stay with me as one of the special otomes I love, capisce? I just couldn't stand Gil or Ryuki. Raul was fine and Shelby was fine, so overall it was just 'ok' for me.

Best boy: Allan. Really enjoyed Jupiters voice acting tho (from Yangs VA hehe)

Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly

I remember while playing this game my friend hated its art style but man I LOVED playing this one. It felt really unique in terms of atmosphere, with mystery/suspense elements. It took me back to the earlier days of visual novels because I didn't look up a walkthrough for a bunch of this and it led to a lot of frustration and dead ends, but even that was kind of fun to figure out. Loved its twists and turns and bittersweet moments. I also loved having a voiced heroine with Beniyuri (which was one of my first experiences with the feature) and wish more heroines were voiced. Also this one had a BANGING OP, whooo! Reminded me of early 2000's nostalgia cheese, love it.

Best boy: Hikage and Yamato

Sweet Fuse: At your side

Hi um WHY DOES NO ONE TALK ABOUT THIS OTOME? Yeah I think its a bit of a lost gem but if you have a PS Vita, I totally rec buying this one. It's such a fun ride, and with a great MC to boot. The Love interests in this game were all very unusual and not typical otome pretty boyz but I really enjoyed the way they were written. The groups chemistry was great as well. The age gap thing might bother some people though so keep that in mind before playing. Anyway, the setting and plot reminded me a little of Danganronpa 2 and I had a real fun time with it.

Best boy: Mitarashi

Taisho x Alice

Hooo boy people were excited for this on the otome subreddit. I sat down to try it and...

Well, I didnt think it was possible for an MC to ruin my game experience but here we are. I couldn't stand this game's heroine. Yes I understand why she was written that way, yes I enjoyed some of the guys and the end reveal was unique and impressive- but was it worth suffering through Yurika? Mn...possibly not. She seems to be somewhat divisive though and if you can stomach her 'memeing' and 'I'm not like OTHER GURLS' energy as she twirls, winks with both eyes and shouts to the world that she's SOOOO Quirky guyz- maybe you'll like this game. Thing is, even putting all...that, aside, I didn't like her attitude with Red by invading his personal space, and a certain thing she did in the last route made me incredibly uncomfortable but of course it was brushed aside bc she's the HEROINE GUYS.

Best boy: Ryoushi and lil gremlin man Alice- actually while I'm here, if you can stomach the MC, Alice's VA had probably the best performance I've heard in an otome. He was hilarious- and had super great range

Variable Barricade

Boy I was super hyped for this one, it was probably my most anticipated game of the year. Great art style, great common route, great voice acting...and then the routes went on. I've noticed people seem to share the same sentiment that they usually enjoy the boys routes but then shit hits the fan and the boy is insensitive, the main heroine is too harsh or dumb- the boy LEAVES, the guy is manipulative- point is, something sours the routes and they're hard to recover from. I really liked Hibari as a heroine at first but as the routes went on I was actively wanting her to NOT be in a relationship, as she demonstrated time and again that she just wasn't ready for one. I ended up selling this game as soon as I was done with it, which I feel sad about, because I really wanted to like VB.

Best boy: Taiga

Theory of Fear

I don't know why I played this game. XD I actually played a couple of 'indie' otomes like Trapped with Jester, Blooming Panic and Boyfriend to Death (the latter I wouldn't uh...call an otome...plus it awakened unpleasant revelations that I might be into some disturbing tropes so THANKS for that game. Never have I been more uncomfortable with being asked if I'd prefer a Hammer or Drill)

Anywho, Theory of Fear isn't discussed much. It's this awkward lil game with Russian voice acting you can find on Steam. Very 'this is someone's first fanfic' vibes, rife with sexual assault around every corner. Every time Yuki showed up I was like - oh boy here we go again. I found Sadaos route quite interesting in some ways though due to his way of 'fear exposure' and quite literally exposing the mc to her worst fears and mingling that with pleasure. I dunno, a twisted concept that made my brain itch in a good way. The game is bad no doubt about it and I don't rec it but I at least took something away from it. I really enjoyed Blooming Panic though and would totally rec that any day.

Best boy: Sadao- look don't you JUDGE ME

Diabolik Lovers HDB and MB

In keeping with this trend of dark romance stuff that shouldn't make my brain go brrr but does is Diabolik Lovers. It's not English Translated but with the first two games in the series now on Switch, I used fan translations to play through the games and had a grand ole time. This franchise is only for people who like trash men ok. These boys are awful in every way and quite frankly you can't defend any of their abuse or actions BUT... it's fiction. And if you enjoy your fav VAs whispering degrading things in your ear, moaning and blood-sucking noises (wear headphones for these games oml) then you'll lurve this series like I do. I found myself enjoying Reiji more than I thought I would and Shuu a little less than anticipated, considering I used to love him in my earlier fandom days. Subaru remains the undisputed champ though.

Best boy: Subaru

Birushana: Rising Flower of Genpei

This game was aight! Better than Hakuoki in my opinion but I know people will come for my head by saying that lmao. It wasn't a perfect game and holy hell did some battles drag on (hi Benkais route) but it really introduced some unique elements plus the best Rivals/ Enemies to lovers trope I've seen so far in otome with Noritsunes route. I recommend this game just for his route, to be honest. I thought Tomomori would be my favourite but he fell a little short for me.

Best boy: Noritsune and Shigehira

Ongoing- Ikemen Prince, Ikemen Vampire and Ikemen Sengoku

I haven't finished all the routes in these mobile game otomes but yup they're my latest addiction. I'm obsessed.

I think Ikesen is my favourite of the three (I'm not touching Ikerev sorry) because of its writing being stronger in terms of just how fun and lively the world feels. Mc helps in a big way with that, and her chemistry with most of the guys is great to witness. Ikesen's menu layout is defo the worst though and could do with an update.

Ikevamp is aight, I didn't enjoy Comtes route like I thought I would and Leo made me sad but I'm loving Arthurs route, what a good boy. I have no gripes with the layout and the music is cute. I've spent the least amount of money on Ikevamp but still had a great time, which I feel is important if you want to be a free to play player. Also Faust route localisation WHEN?!

Ikepri's layout is the best no contest, everything looks super clean and stylish and the gacha systems are dangerous bc holy hell the cards look so good and pretty. Ikepri has hurt my wallet the most though and I defo feel the most pushed out of all of them to spend money. I think the writing is fine for Ikepri but oddly I enjoy the Events more the Routes themselves?? anyone else feel that way? I like it though, I just need to be stricter on myself not to get sucked into gambling because of it loll

Best girl and light of my life: Ikesen's MC Mai Mizusaki.

Best ikevamp boy: Faust

Ikesen: Mitsuhide or Motonari

Ikepri: Chevalier

[jasmine-otome]

Birushana: Rising Flower of Genpei Review ⚔️

"Fifteen years after the Heiji Rebellion, the Heike clan has reached the height of its power, while the Genji clan remains devastated by defeat. Hidden deep within the mountains of Kurama lives Shanao, the youngest surviving male heir to the Genji name. However, Shanao harbors a deep secret known by very few.

The youngest heir to the Genji name is no man.

Her adventure leads her to find new cherished relationships, as well as something deeper than the feud between the rivaling clans."

This review will contain marked spoilers, which will be indicated by red text stating "spoiler zone" and will be struck through. The spoiler zones' endings will be denoted by "end spoilers" in green text.

Genre: Historical / Action / Adventure / Romance

Rating: ESRB T

Developer & Publisher: Otomate & Red Entertainment + Idea Factory International

Where to Buy: Nintendo eShop, Amazon

When I first heard about Birushana, I was super excited about the enemies-to-lovers route. Unfortunately, I took a pretty long break from gaming right before it was released, so I only got the chance to play it recently. I’m a massive fan of historical fiction, and this was my first otome series taking place in historical Japan, so I had a lot to expect. I had exceptionally high expectations for Tomomori, and I can confidently say he met all of them :). The game took me a little under 45 hours to complete over the course of a month; however, it’d probably take a little less time if you use walkthroughs most of the time.

I really liked the art, and the music was a perfect addition to immerse you into the time period. I loved how they implemented faceless sprites for most of the extras and how each character had multiple costume changes. Birushana is slightly unconventional in terms of directing, which I absolutely loved. The developers truly took advantage of the ability to move around the character sprites, which definitely ramped up the action.

The fight scenes were action-packed and incredibly immersive, as the sprites were constantly moving to mimic the energy of an actual fight (think piofiore gunfights on steroids). The developers also made excellent use of the perspective and rear sprites of characters, as well, which I don’t see too much. Overall, the art, directing, and music amplified the game’s immersion and made it super visually appealing and entertaining. All in all, *chef’s kiss*. 9/10

*the gif might be a little lossy since I had to really trim it down*

Birushana pretty much checked off all the boxes for my favorite features. It has a heroine portrait, bold and outlined text (making it so much easier to read), a flowchart, a status page, a dictionary, a skip-to-choice button, love catch, and sprite animation. The only thing keeping the system from being a 10/10 is the fact that the game itself was pretty slow and sometimes laggy. It was especially prominent when it came to disengaging the skip feature. Sometimes, I’d have to press twice to disengage, which is incredibly annoying when I accidentally activated "skip all". I typically play games with the second-fastest text speed, but I had to switch to the fastest speed since it sometimes lags between lines.

Instead of simply having points for each love interest, there are measures for strength, knowledge, and kindness. Not going to lie, this made the game kind of hard. Instead of getting as many points with your target love interest as possible, you also have to balance the other three measures…otherwise, you’ll end up on a bad end or the wrong route. When it came to Noritsune, I kept either getting a bad end or ending up on Benkei’s route over and over again until I gave up and decided to use a walkthrough. Benkei’s route was also a struggle since I kept getting bad ends. I can’t even begin to remember how many tries it took before I resorted to a walkthrough. Thankfully, after those two routes, I figured out exactly how to land on the proper route, and my struggle was no more.

Coupled with the fabulous directing I mentioned above, the fact that the sprites were animated served to turn the game into a cinematic masterpiece! It really coupled well to play upon the game’s adventurous nature. I’m not too particular about voice acting, but I think it was pretty good. I was rlly happy to learn that Tomomori's VA voiced Korosensei in Assassination Classroom and also had roles in various other series I really like, such as I’m the Villainess, The Masterful Cat is Depressed Again Today, Horimiya, High Rise Invasion, Boruto, My Love Story, and about a billion other series. Idk that was a bit random lol. 9/10

Birushana takes place in the Heian era of Japan and revolves around two Samurai clans: the Heike and the Genji. In addition to taking place in a historical setting, the game revolves around the real-life Genpei War and various battles that occurred alongside it. In fact, many of the characters and love interests are based on actual historical figures (although the writers do take various liberties, obviously).

The common route is pretty short (I didn’t track how many hours), and it differs from typical otoge as there are common parts during the individual character routes. Additionally, due to keeping in line with history, the unique character routes tend to be a little repetitive in some aspects, which was a bit annoying at times. Still, once I learned that it actually happened, it made sense why the developers chose to do that. While I usually play whichever character I feel like first, I decided to follow the developer’s recommended route order, and I feel like it really enhanced the gameplay experience. The best way I can describe it is pretty much layers. Each route is pretty much juicier than the previous one and unveils more and more each time. It also plays a lot of dramatic irony. There’s a LOT to be uncovered by the story, so it really encourages you to develop various theories and whatnot regarding the characters. I loved the more subtle touch of fantasy, so it wasn’t overly dramatic but still played an important role.

As for the endings, each route has a “Happy End,” a “Tragic Love End,” “If Ends,” and a couple “Bad Ends”.

*** SLIGHT SPOILER ZONE ***

The tragic love ends were a bit like a lite version of Piofiore’s notorious tragic endings, but when it came to the happy endings, I wasn’t particularly satisfied. They felt more like normal endings than “happy” ones, but I guess it just boils down to keeping it realistic.

*** END SPOILERS ***

Something that I absolutely loved were the “If” endings. After completing each route except Noritsune’s, you’ll unlock an ending with one of four side characters earlier on in the route. As a lover of side characters, I was absolutely pumped when I realized it. Their stories apparently continue in the fandisc, which I hope IFI will announce soon. Shigehira was my favorite side character, and I was super happy once I realized that he wouldn’t be limited to an undatable. I really wished other games would employ that practice *cough cough* Dairoku *cough cough*. I think Birushana did a pretty good job of tying up any loose ends in terms of plotline. I had very few lingering questions, none of which were quite pressing or anything. Some elements felt a little band-aidy, but nothing that made me completely roll my eyes. 7/10

When I started the game, my rankings for love interests were Tomomori > Yoritomo > Noritsune > Shungen > Benkei. After I completed it, my rankings surprisingly didn’t change. I didn’t dislike any of the love interests (which is pretty rare for me), and I absolutely loved two of them. 7/10

*the game's route order*

Shanao/Yoshitsune Minamoto is the youngest heir of Genji, who has spent her life living as a boy in the Kurama temple and has been training all her life in hopes of one day standing up to the Heike. Throughout her life, the name of Genji, which she holds dear, has been weighing her down, pushing her towards combat when all she truly wants is to make the world a better place and live in peace. Birushana follows Shanao as she leaves the temple in Kyoto and embarks on a journey to defeat the Heike and achieve her dreams.

I really liked Shanao as a character and found her interesting throughout. She’s strong, resilient, and quick-witted; overall, she is a very admirable heroine. She takes a very active role in the story and isn’t just a damsel. She’s also extremely dedicated to her beliefs and gives her all to reach her dreams. I loved how her strength was showcased throughout and not subjugated once a love interest appeared. I’ve found that in many battle/action series, the FL starts out as some goddess of war, but once she meets the ML, her abilities are pretty much disregarded, and she just becomes the ML’s cheerleader (cough, SAO). Thankfully, Birushana strays away from this and keeps Shanao at the forefront. She’s pretty much one of those characters you can’t help but cheer on.

Noritsune Taira is the nephew of Kiyomori, the Heike’s leader, and the cousin of Shigehira and Tomomori. He’s a bit sheltered when it comes to the real world due to his upbringing, has a hostile attitude, and quite a competitive spirit. Like Shanao, although he feels pride in his clan, he also feels weighed down by it and begins to see her as a rival.

What got me really excited for Birushana initially was the existence of an enemies-to-lovers route, which happens to be Noritsune’s. While they never really seemed like enemies, they were definitely intense rivals. His route was pretty light compared to the following routes, but it was also an excellent way to start off the game. Something I really liked about it was the character dynamic between him and Shanao. He sees her as a rival to overcome and, in turn, is pushed to grow as a person and escape the shell of his family, learning what it’s like to be in the real world. Throughout his route, he pretty much matures from a sheltered, bratty, rich boy to someone who knows how to work hard, respect others, and is self-aware. They pretty much have that iconic battle shounen rivalry that pushes each other to do better despite being on opposing sides (kind of like Sasuke & Naruto) but with a romantic twist (speaking of Naruto, one thing that drew me to his character was the fact that he has the same pink hair and green eyes as my favorite character, Sakura).

One of the great things about Noritsune is that he never disregarded Shanao as a rival, even after finding out she was a woman, and didn’t even care too much for her gender in general. He always saw her as an equal and admired her strength.

*** LIGHT SPOILER ZONE ***

I really loved how they could set aside their differences in the middle of the route and pretty much just be together for some time. Seeing them fight together was so power-couple. It absolutely broke my heart when they were separated towards the end.

*** END SPOILERS ***

I will say that getting on his route was an absolute nightmare without knowing how the game works, but I think it was all worth it for him.

Benkei is an exiled monk on a journey to collect either 999 or 1000 swords from the Heike (I forgot ngl). He’s a bit of a gentle giant and somewhat of a himbo. He is also incredibly loyal to Shanao as her “first vassal” despite having a bit of a notorious background. He also happens to be the oldest love interest in the game at 30 years old. Something I found a bit funny is how much older he looks than Yoritomo despite being only a year apart.

Benkei was probably my least favorite LI, but I did like his character. I found his himbo-ness quite funny and liked his route a lot, but I couldn’t really bring myself to see him as a love interest. Benkei takes great pride in being her vassal, and the two develop somewhat of a father-daughter relationship, bonding due to their lack of parentage...which made it hard for me to see them as a couple.

*** LIGHT SPOILER ZONE ***

One of the things about Benkei’s route that’s a bit unconventional (but I’m not complaining at all about it) is the lack of Benkei himself. This route pretty much felt like a Shigehira & Tomomori ad and is what turned me into a diehard Shigehira fan and got me super pumped for Tomomori lol. Safe to say, I was pretty satisfied with some of the bad endings. The route delves into the mysteries of Shanao’s origin and serves as a starting point for unpacking the layers of the story. It also really exposes the fantasy element of the story.

I wasn’t a massive fan of the romance in this route, as it felt a bit underdeveloped. Benkei pretty much served as a shoulder to cry on. Still, I will admit he makes a phenomenal side/platonic character.

*** END SPOILERS ***

Benkei's unwaveringly dedicated to Shanao and will do whatever he can in hopes of making things easier on her, even if it comes at his own expense. Overall, I liked the route (mainly due to the villains, lol) and I like Benkei as a character. Still, the chemistry as lovers wasn’t really there, in my opinion (but it was good in a more platonic sense).

Shungen is the son of Shanao’s father’s retainer and has been raised alongside her in Kurama since birth. He’s pretty overprotective when it comes to Shanao and is the pair's brain, while Shanao is the brawn.

I’m not typically a fan of the childhood friend troupe since they usually tend to go sour; however, Shungen exceeded my expectations. While the romance itself wasn’t anything to write home about, I did really like him as a character. He’s a bit nerdy and likes to read a lot, which, looking back, doesn’t seem to be super common. He’s also a talented flute player, which was also a cool addition. He cares a lot for Shanao and profoundly values her due to their close relationship throughout their lives. As opposed to Noritsune, he was more overprotective. He doesn't let her breathe as much, but it kinda makes sense since she's constantly in extreme danger (given the war and all). He’s definitely one of the sweeter LIs and seems quite innocent, lol.

This route was a big one in terms of plot twists, building upon the revelations in previous routes. While playing, I attempted to predict what was going on over and over again and got pretty close. It also unveiled even more questions surrounding Shanao, so it keeps you on your toes.

*** MEDIUM SPOILER ZONE ***

My favorite part was probably when he played the flute for Shanao every day, which really tugged on my heartstrings. I laughed a bit at the thought of Shungen being called some player-inputted name, like idk Emily, once the big reveal came out. I liked how this route had a big focus on the emperor as opposed to simply the Heike as well. Something pretty interesting to see was Shungen’s little light-yandere streak, especially since he’s been portrayed as this sweet, intellectual character who doesn’t seem very threatening. The happy ending for this route was a bit surprising since I was scared I did something wrong, but overall, it turned out pretty well. I felt so bad for Shanao in this route, and I can’t even begin to imagine what she must have been feeling after learning the truth. Thankfully, it made Yoritomo’s route feel a lot less wrong.

*** END SPOILERS ***

This route hyped me up for Yoritomo’s route, so I was pretty eager to get through with Shungen’s, which might have limited my enjoyment a little bit. While Shungen was likable, I couldn’t care too much for their romance. This route really tugged on my heartstrings, and I liked Shanao and Shungen’s close relationship as friends. I think Shanao’s role was a bit toned down in this route and that there were a couple of conflicts that could have easily been solved via communication. But overall, it was a really great building block for the rest of the story and ramped up the dramatic irony in the following routes.

Yoritomo Minamoto is Shanao’s older half-brother who has been exiled in Izu for the past 16 or so years. I know what you’re thinking, but don’t worry, and just ignore it. He’s distant and closed off, and it takes some time for him to open up, but it makes sense given his background.

Having seen him throughout the previous routes, I was just itching to play this route. It’s full of angst, is pretty slow-burn, and really showcases the extent of Shanao’s dedication. She seemed a bit out of character for this route, but it made sense that it highlights how deeply she years for familial love. Being so far into the game, the route has a lot of spoilers, so I'll limit most of my commentary.

*** MEDIUM SPOILER ZONE ***

Growing up essentially as an orphan, Shanao's been longing for familial love for years, and upon meeting her only family, she can’t help but be dedicated even if it’s bad for her in the long run. Yoritomo starts off very stoic, but Shanao slowly chips away at his exterior, and they begin to open up to one another. It absolutely broke my heart when Shanao overheard Yoritomo discussing with Kagetoki and ran away. I liked both the happy and tragic endings a lot. The tragic one kinda reminded me of a blend of Dante and Nicola's, who happen to be my two favorite Piofiore characters.

*** END SPOILERS ***

I really, really loved Yoritomo’s character design (his might be my favorite), and his CGs were by far my favorite in the game. His closed-off nature really made me yearn for some scenes from his point of view since I really, really wanted to know what was going on in his head lol. Throughout the routes, I couldn’t really figure out if he was a good or bad character, but that just made it all the more entertaining. The romance felt a little fast, but overall, it was my second favorite route, and I really loved his character.

Tomomori Taira is Kiyomori’s (leader of the Heike) 4th son, Shigehira's brother, and Noritsune's cousin. He’s a highly talented militarist but tends to stay outside of battles unless he holds a personal interest within them. Right off the bat, he discovers Shanao’s secret and pretty much becomes weirdly obsessed with her, hopping on a quest to make her his…or to at least die by her hand.

Tomomori was the individual character I was most excited about both before and during the game, and I can safely say that he did not disappoint at all. Being the game's villain, he plays a much more prominent role than the other love interests in other routes and even takes the stage in some. Since he’s interested in her from the start, it’s almost like the whole game is building up on their relationship.

I absolutely loved the dynamic between Shanao and Tomomori: he’s all flirty while she pretty much can’t stand him (however, she does seem to hold some feelings towards him that she’d like to ignore). After seeing Shanao doing all the heavy lifting in the previous route, it was nice to see the roles being reversed. I finished this route the quickest simply because I was so obsessed with him. Coupled with several plotholes that don’t matter too much, his route connected everything revealed in previous routes and added even more, especially regarding the story’s fantasy side. Some things I predicted pretty well, but others came out of nowhere, so it was quite exhilarating to learn the whole story.

*** MEDIUM SPOILER ZONE ***

I really liked how Tomomori’s route seemed to take a break from the war setting and had the two of them travel together. It was one of my favorite parts of Noritsune’s, so I was delighted to see something like that again. I thought the whole hand-holding thing was absolutely adorable, and I was obsessed with everything about Tomomori. I thought the ghost story scene was hilarious and showcased some lighthearted moments between the two despite literally being in the midst of war. You can tell he cares for her by helping her control her powers, which almost connects them as so few people have the same ability. Their banter is excellent, and they just seem like a couple who complement each other perfectly.

Shanao exhibits much character growth by learning about Tomomori’s perspective on things and his real-life experiences after writing him off as some wealthy noble who’s never felt struggle. It showcases the hidden parts of Tomomori, and the fact that he doesn’t care too much about the fairings of his family holds a contrast to Shanao, who cares deeply about hers despite being barely exposed and integrated into it. The whole “I want to see her cry” thing reminded me of Claude from I’m the Villainess, who I also love, which was pretty nice.

When the two separated, I was literally dying for them to get back together omg. When I saw all the “one month” and “several months” later, I was dying inside and felt terrible for Tomomori. First, his dad dies right before him, and then his girl runs off to the enemy on the same night 😭.

The happy ending for this route was probably my favorite since it didn’t seem so…lackluster. The whole Tokuko thing felt a little band-aidy, but what can you do, I guess. He gets a bit cringe-ishly possessive, but it seemed like it meant to play on his funny side, so I didn’t take it too seriously.

*** END SPOILERS ***

Overall, Tomomori takes the cake. The entire game pretty much builds upon the tension between the two, and the route ties together all the prior revelations. Tomomori and Shanao had the best chemistry, in my opinion, and have a great dynamic between their personalities. He’s a little crazy, but in a good way. The route integrates comedy perfectly into the game's setting and takes on some surprising twists. Throughout the route, he develops from a bit of a weird, loving creep to a fleshed-out yet slightly clingy character. All I could possibly want now is another love interest like him, no one compares 😭.

To be honest, I didn’t care too much about the side characters except for Shigehira, Tomomori’s brother, who I absolutely loved. From the moment I saw him, I was lamenting over the fact that he wasn’t an LI, but once I learned that he was one in the fandisc, it was like the world had been saved. I really enjoyed Shigehira’s “If” ending since it showcases their dynamic. It reminded me a bit of Shanao and Noritsune’s relationship, since despite being rivals from opposing sides, they don’t really dislike each other and seem to care for one another in their own way. He’s a little bossy and cocky, but his time with Shanao helps him grow and mature a little bit. I’m really begging for an FD localization just for him because I need moreeeee.

I also really wish we saw more of the sibling dynamic between Tokuko, Shigehira, and Tomomori. Shigehira mentions the three of them playing together as children, but Tokuko seems very branched off from the beginning. She was pretty annoying from the start but a bit of a necessary evil and seemed to redeem herself somewhat.

Two “prominent” side characters were Tadanobu and Tsugunobu, vassals for Lord Hidehira in Oshu. Tadanobu’s the goofy and flirty one, while Tsugunobu’s the more soft-spoken and wise one. In my opinion, they didn’t add too much to the story that a random extra couldn't have…they were kinda just there for some occasional comic relief.

Takatsuna is Yoritomo’s young retainer and probably the game's youngest character. I didn’t care too much about him in the actual game, but I thoroughly enjoyed his “If” route. He seems pretty nice, but that’s it.

One character I wasn’t a fan of was Yasuhira, Lord Hidehira’s son. I’m not really sure why Yasuhira even got a sprite since he was pretty much irrelevant throughout the story. He only seemed to complain for a couple lines about Shanao, and that was the extent of his character. I wish his sprite was used by the emperor instead or something.

Overall, I liked Birushana quite a bit. While Tomomori and Yoritomo really took the spotlight, Benkei and Shungen were a bit lackluster, and Noritsune was kinda neutral. Something that really amped up my impression of the game was the insane directing. The developers exceeded my expectations with the action scenes, which were captivating and full of movement, which doesn’t seem too common in otome games. Everything is super animated, and the fight scenes are incredibly action-packed. The romance aspect varied by love interests, but for the most part, it was more subtle, with war and family ties being the main centers of conflict. My most significant criticism was probably the prevalence of unskippable repetition since each route seems to follow the same course, with some things changed in between. The game is excellent at slowly revealing information and building upon it, giving you just enough information to predict some parts but not enough to predict all aspects of it. To sum it up, a pretty good game. 8/10

*** HEAVY SPOILER ZONE ***

Does Shanao have a random dad, or was she reproduced asexually or something?

If Rengetsu looked like some monster creature, how come Kiyomori recognized Shanao as her?

How’d Tomomori know Rengetsu was Kiyomori’s sister if he hadn’t heard about her before?

Why’d poor Shigehira have to die in like every route 😭?

*** END SPOILERS ***

[otomegema]

So You Wanna Play Otome Games? - a very incomplete beginners guide that no one asked for 🎮

I have played a lot of otome games since the lockdown days of 2020.

A. Lot. Of. Otome. Games.

And so a couple of my friends have asked me for recommendations in the past and I have posted a few passing reviews on here (mostly just me screaming into the sky about my blorbos). So this post is just to kinda recommend my two most favorite sites for otome walkthroughs, news and reviews, while also providing a brief overview of systems, game types and some terms.

System

There are three places I play otome games currently-- Switch, Mobile and Steam. Most otome games these days are being ported/translated and sold for Switch and it has become the "main" console for most folks I know who play otome games. Previously, the games were found primarly on PSVita!

Mobile Otomes are generally half gacha/half story and require passing pay walls to get certain content. Switch and Steam otome games are nice because you pay for them outright like any game and no more microtransactions are required, and unlike mobile games, they are more than often fully voiced!

Walkthroughs & Reviews

My all time favorite place for console walkthroughs and general news on games being translated is Otome Kitten. Her reviews are honestly how I got started and they are so comprehensive as to go over story, the cast and available routes and then also to give walkthroughs?! Just perfect.

For mobile otome games I use Otome Obsessed primarily for walkthroughs. Sweet & Spicy Reviews is a new one I have been going to for mobile game reviews of individual routes specifically, but they also do console reviews as well.

Terminology

I'm sure most folks who watch anime or read manga are aware of "tropes" in those genres. Otome follows tropes from romance as well especially with the "types" of guys in the games. Many of the romanceable guys will fall into specific categories (or multiple!) such as tsundere, kuudere, genki, oji-san, playboys, yandere... etc etc. The list goes on. You'll begin to be able to clock these boys at a glance once you've played enough otome games. It is helpful for vetting out what routes you might enjoy most before you even play! This is stuff that you’ll learn as you go.

Plot, Romance & Story

Some otome games are what is referred to as "romance light". There is romance, but time is spent more on story and game mechanices. Even if Tempest and Birushana Rising Flower of Genpei are good examples of games that spends less time on romance and more on the story and action. Comedy or Slice of Life otome games like Cupid Parasite and Variable Barricade spend more time wholly focused on romance plotlines with story plots that are very simple.

Then there are otome games that have it ALL. Good story and balanced romances, and you'll find them leaping to the top of people's favorite lists often such as with Collar x Malice and Code Realize. Just play different kinds and you’ll find out what you like.

Fandisk "Sequels"

If an otome is beloved enough, it may get one or more fandisks! Fandisks almost are always filled with extra romantic content and stories focused on your favorite husbando. They are sequels, but don't usually go deep into story and intead focus on giving us more romantic content and "where are they now" stories or even giving us alternate events/endings (such is the case with some Code Realize fandisks).

That’s it for right now, maybe I’ll add pt. 2.

[foxstens]

it seems there won’t be any locked routes in the birushana fd......

[blerdyotome]

Birushana Rising Flower of Genpei Yoritomo Minamoto Walkthrough

Birushana Rising Flower of Genpei Yoritomo Minamoto Walkthrough

Official Website: Japanese | English Where to Buy: Nintendo eShop General Tips Only the Happy End and Tragic Love End have unlockable CGs. All other paths are optional (CW included where necessary)Completing Yoritomo’s Happy End Unlocks Sub Character – Takatsuna End. This end unlocks an Other CG.Recommended play order: Noritsune Taira ➤ Shungen ➤ Benkei Musashibo ➤ Yoritomo Minamoto ➤ Tomomori…

[blerdyotome]

Birushana Rising Flower of Genpei Benkei Musashibo Walkthrough

Birushana Rising Flower of Genpei Benkei Musashibo Walkthrough

Official Website: Japanese | English Where to Buy: Nintendo eShop General Tips Only the Happy End and Tragic Love End have unlockable CGs. All other paths are optional (CW included where necessary)Completing Benkei’s Happy End Unlocks Sub Character – Tadanobu End. This end unlocks an Other CG.Recommended play order: Noritsune Taira ➤ Shungen ➤ Benkei Musashibo ➤ Yoritomo Minamoto ➤ Tomomori…

[blerdyotome]

Birushana Rising Flower of Genpei Noritsune Taira Walkthrough

Birushana Rising Flower of Genpei Noritsune Taira Walkthrough

Official Website: Japanese | English Where to Buy: Nintendo eShop General Tips Only the Happy End and Tragic Love End have unlockable CGs. All other paths are optional (CW included where necessary)Recommended play order: Noritsune Taira ➤ Shungen ➤ Benkei Musashibo ➤ Yoritomo Minamoto ➤ Tomomori Taira Noritsune TairaVoice Actor Character BioKengo KawanashiNephew of Kiyomori Taira, and son of…

[blerdyotome]

Birushana Rising Flower of Genpei Shungen Walkthrough

Birushana Rising Flower of Genpei Shungen Walkthrough

Official Website: Japanese | English Where to Buy: Nintendo eShop General Tips Only the Happy End and Tragic Love End have unlockable CGs. All other paths are optional (CW included where necessary)Completing Shungen’s Happy End Unlocks Sub Character – Tsugunobu End. This end unlocks an Other CG.Recommended play order: Noritsune Taira ➤ Shungen ➤ Benkei Musashibo ➤ Yoritomo Minamoto ➤ Tomomori…

[aishaarashi]

Birushana: Rising Flower of Genpei ~Tomomori - Happy Ending & Tragic Love Ending~

This is a guide/walkthrough on how to get Tomomori’s Happy Ending & Tragic Love Ending.  

One recommended route order: Noritsune ➔ Benkei ➔ Shungen ➔ Yoritomo ➔ Tomomori

Chapter 1:

Tell me more about this plan…

There’s got to be a way out of this…

Chapter 2:

Just what do you mean by that?

But the Heike aren’t afraid of me!

Great, thanks.

I don’t care about my mother.

Let’s split up.

Guess I’ll have to fight to find out.

I am who I am!

Shut your mouth!

Chapter 3:

You should think more seriously…

I can’t cause trouble for Kurama.

Well, I don’t believe in fate.

Chapter 4:

I’ll face him down.

No point in thinking about it now…

Chapter 5:

(No Choices)

Chapter 6:

Is Tomomori himself trapped by fate…?

Chapter 7:

I underestimated Tomomori.

Chapter 8:

I glared back at him…

Chapter 9:

I’ve known him forever!

Chapter 10:

(No Choices)

Chapter 11:

(No Choices)

Chapter 12:

(No Choices)

➔  Happy Ending

Flowchart ➔ Tomomori Ch.12-1

Love: Low Strength: Low Knowledge: Low Kindness: Low

➔  Tragic Love Ending (CG)

IF ENDING:   (Unlocks after completing Tomomori’s route)  

Go to Flowchart ➔ Start Shigehira Ending   (It can be found underneath  Tomomori’s Ch.5-1)

➔ Ending - First Feelings

[aishaarashi]

Birushana: Rising Flower of Genpei ~Benkei - Happy Ending~

This is a guide/walkthrough on how to get Benkei’s Happy Ending.  

❈The “SAVE” in this guide corresponds to the “LOAD SAVE” from the Tragic Love Ending guide, which can be found HERE.

One recommended route order: Noritsune ➔ Benkei ➔ Shungen ➔ Yoritomo ➔ Tomomori

Chapter 1:

You really wish to restore the Genji?

There’s got to be a way out of this…

Chapter 2:

I can’t live up to the Genji name…

I don’t want a war with the Heike.

Great, thanks.

I’m sorry… but I have to go see her…

Why must I bear the name of Genji?

That’s none of your business!

If you want to know for sure, fight me!

Chapter 3:

Having a vassal is too much for me…

I can’t cause trouble for Kurama.

I’d like to believe it’s fate too.

Chapter 4:

You…don’t look like you’ve slept a wink.

You must have been very lonely…

Chapter 5:

(No Choices)

Chapter 6:

I wish I had a heart as big as yours.

It’s all thanks to you!

Chapter 7:

He has his own ideas…

SAVE

I had a feeling you’d say that.

Chapter 8:

Can you make it, Benkei?

Chapter 9:

I need Benkei to support me.

Chapter 10:

You didn’t have to do it alone.

Chapter 11:

I’ll be fine as long as you’re with me.

Chapter 12:

As my vassal or…

➔ Happy Ending

IF ENDING:  (Unlocks after completing Benkei’s route)

Go to Flowchart ➔ Start Tadanobu Ending   (It can be found underneath Benkei’s Ch.6-1)

➔ Ending - Promise to You

[aishaarashi]

Birushana: Rising Flower of Genpei ~Yoritomo - Happy Ending~

This is a guide/walkthrough on how to get Yoritomo’s Happy Ending.  

❈The “SAVE” in this guide corresponds to the “LOAD SAVE” from the Tragic Love Ending guide, which can be found HERE.

One recommended route order: Noritsune ➔ Benkei ➔ Shungen ➔ Yoritomo ➔ Tomomori

Chapter 1:

Silently watch the samurai.

There’s got to be a way out of this…

Chapter 2:

As a Genji, I must talk with him.

I don’t fear the Heike.

Great, thanks.

Our priority is to capture Benkei.

Let’s split up.

Still, I must bear this name.

I’m nobody!

If you want to know for sure, fight me!

Chapter 3:

I don’t think I beat you…

I can’t cause trouble for Kurama.

Well, I don’t believe in fate.

Chapter 4:

It’s all just too sad…

What terrible things did he see…

It can’t be helped.

Chapter 5:

(No Choices)

Chapter 6:

I’m ready to fight for my brother.

Take it easy.

Chapter 7:

SAVE

I’m terrified of myself.

Chapter 8:

I’m terribly sorry.

Chapter 9:

That’s why you came after me?

Chapter 10:

It must have been terrible for you…

Chapter 11:

Put my hand on my chest

Chapter 12:

(No Choices)

➔ Happy Ending

IF ENDING:  (Unlocks after completing Yoritomo’s route)

Go to Flowchart ➔ Start Takatsuna Ending   (It can be found underneath Yoritomo’s Ch.6-2)

➔ Ending - Innocence Hidden in Conviction

[aishaarashi]

Birushana: Rising Flower of Genpei ~Benkei - Tragic Love Ending~

This is a guide/walkthrough on how to get Benkei’s Tragic Love Ending.

❈The “LOAD SAVE” in this guide corresponds to the “SAVE” from the Happy Ending guide, which can be found HERE.

Recommended route order: Noritsune ➔ Benkei ➔ Shungen ➔ Yoritomo ➔ Tomomori

LOAD SAVE

That’s nice of you to say.

Chapter 8:

I’m sorry, Benkei.

Chapter 9:

I want Benkei to scold me.

Chapter 10:

I want to know the truth.

Chapter 11:

If we’re together, we can’t lose.

Chapter 12:

Of course I want you there with me.

➔ Tragic Love Ending (CG)

[aishaarashi]

Birushana: Rising Flower of Genpei ~Noritsune - Tragic Love Ending~

This is a guide/walkthrough on how to get Noritsune’s Tragic Love Ending.

❈The “LOAD SAVE” in this guide corresponds to the “SAVE” from the Happy Ending guide, which can be found HERE.

One recommended route order: Noritsune ➔ Benkei ➔ Shungen ➔ Yoritomo ➔ Tomomori

LOAD SAVE

I don’t know myself.

Chapter 8:

He really has returned…

Chapter 9:

You’ve become a true warrior…

Chapter 10:

I don’t know…

Chapter 11:

This isn’t like you…

Chapter 12:

(No Choices)

➔ Tragic Love Ending (CG)

[aishaarashi]

Birushana: Rising Flower of Genpei ~Noritsune - Happy Ending~

This is a guide/walkthrough on how to get Noritsune’s Happy Ending.

❈The “SAVE” in this guide corresponds to the “LOAD SAVE” from the Tragic Love Ending guide, which can be found HERE.

One recommended route order: Noritsune ➔ Benkei ➔ Shungen ➔ Yoritomo ➔ Tomomori

Chapter 1:

Silently watch the samurai.

I have no choice. I have to accept…

Chapter 2:

As a Genji, I must talk with him.

But the Heike aren’t afraid of me!

Great, thanks.

Our priority is to capture Benkei.

We’re stronger together.

And I’m the one who decided to go.

What makes the Heike so great?

Chapter 3:

Why did you help us?

I hope it’s a fate I can bear…

I suppose I should thank you.

Chapter 4:

I wouldn’t lose.

Chapter 5:

(No Choices)

Chapter 6:

You’re out of your mind.

Chapter 7:

I’m weak when it comes to my mother.

SAVE 

I want you to live.

Chapter 8:

Can’t say I’m surprised…

Chapter 9:

I was hoping I’d find you here…

Chapter 10:

You can’t say things like that…

Chapter 11:

What is it, Noritsune?

Chapter 12:

(No Choices)

➔ Happy Ending